ATR Timeline

It has been 2 years and 3 months after surgery for my bilateral achilles tendon rupture. I’m still not 100% and likely I never will be. I suffered great foot pain for the better part of a year after kicking off the boots. To alleviate the pain, I wear shoes or sandals all the time except in bed. But all in all, it is slowly getting better. I wonder if I will ever get the strength back in my calves. I can at least now, if I’m careful, stand on tiptoes without my calves buckling into cramps. I think now I’m about 95% and reflecting on that 6 weeks in a wheelchair followed by 3 weeks in boots has all become a faded memory.

To all of you having gone through or are going through ATR recovery, hang in there and don’t rush your recovery. I found solace in reading and commenting on the blogs on this site and found it very helpful as well. Wishing you all a successful recovery.

These last two weeks have been most monumental for me. I got to ditch the wheelchair at my 6 week post-op check and didn’t even use the crutches. Walking in two aircasts is like walking in ski boots. The novelty of that however wore off fairly quickly though. My feet scream at me within just a few minutes of walking. It’s not my tendon that hurts, it’s the bottom of my heals. I suppose it is because I haven’t used them for six weeks and also the fact that all my weight is on them too since I can’t put any weight on the balls of my feet. The day after my checkup Kevin took me to Palm Springs to escape the snow and ice. I had to use the chair for the journey through the airport however since I couldn’t stand or walk for long. We spent a week in the land of warmth and sunshine and I practiced walking in the pool and a couple of motion exercises since technically I wasn’t to start Physio for two weeks yet. I tried to go shopping and was sadly disappointed that my aching feet actually took all the fun out of it! By the end of the week, I began walking (well I guess it was more like a shuffle) in the house without the boots. I was hoping that my feet wouldn’t hurt as much but it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing they just hurt. Sadly the week ended and we had to come home where I am more or less held hostage indoors. I haven’t dared venture outside too much this past week however we went to a Xmas party and I wore two shoes! According to my Dr. I was to drop the boots the day before but to be cautious when venturing outside. This week I can start Physio and I can’t wait. My friend the Physio is going to drop by and let me know what exercises I can start doing. I’ll do anything that is going to help the pain. The weather was nice outside today and I walked to the school to pick up the kids. It sure felt good to get outside.

I just visited my surgeon today. I am 6 Weeks less a day post-op. He told me to lose my wheels and start walking FWB in my Aircasts! It was far more than I expected and I’m thrilled. I don’t even have to use crutches, however, for the time being I will use my cane for balance until I get the hang of walking in 2 boots. He told me to take it easy and not to go from 0 to 100 immediately. I’m not at all sure I could anyway. I’ve done some walking around the house and my plantars are killing me. I start Physio in 2 weeks. Until then I am to work on ROM. The news really could’t have come at a better time. This last week was a killer. My patience took a beating leading up to this Dr appt. In fact, I’ve been doing some FWB a lot in the last 4 days. While Kevin was at Cub camp with our son on the weekend, I “walked” upstairs and had a bath! I tell you, it was heavenly. It was so great, that I have had one everyday since! Now, I can do it without guilt! I am not scheduled to see the surgeon until January. As I look back, this experience over the last 6 weeks hasn’t been so bad. I am so thankful for my supportive husband and friends who have kept me from utter boredom and have given me something to look forward to everyday. I am grateful to all of you for sharing your stories, challenges and successes. Just knowing that I am not alone in this has made all the difference. Our house can now be put back together and we are one small step closer to this experience to becoming all but just a memory!

Other than one event these last weeks I have not had a whole lot to report so have lumped these last 3 weeks together and have finally caught up!

Week 3 - After seeing the surgeon, I was thrilled! I had the chance to get out of the house and I wanted more. I had Kevin take me to watch the kids swim and then that night we went to a friends house for dinner. During the week I was so tempted to go upstairs and check on the state of my kids rooms and grab a new selection of clothes from my closet. No one else was home so I thought why not. I parked my chair at the bottom of the stairs and scooched up on my bum. Once upstairs, I crawled and ‘crabbed walked’ around gathering my clothes and putting away the kids laundry and tidied up some toys. I made it back downstairs easily. Kevin came home and noticed the changes and gave me some grief. I guess he what right though. It’s not that I went upstairs, it’s the fact that I went up without anyone home. A couple of days later, I scooched up for a shower. Oh did that feel good! However, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I had to sit on the floor and I could barely reach the valve. Then it was slippery to boot. I think I can wait awhile before the next one. The next day I started to feel pain in my left calf. I didn’t think much of it until that night when I had trouble sleeping. My calf throbbed. Every time I moved, it hurt more. When I woke in the morning and had my legs down they really throbbed and were uncomfortable. Two days later I started to feel the same pain in my right calf. I started to worry about blood clots even though I was still on blood thinners but I only had 2 injections left. I called my family Dr and was able to get in the next day. I spent the better part of the day with my made legs elevated. My Dr wasn’t sure what was wrong but she extended my blood thinners for another 3 weeks and scheduled an ultrasound for the next day to check for blood clots. She also said I could take off the tapes which I did. The incisions looked good other than a couple of tapes stuck to a scab and pulled it off. It’s a little tender but I think it will heal. After the ultrasound the next day I finally heard. Good news. No bloodclots. Whew.

Week 4 - After another 2 days of keeping elevated the pain diminished. What the heck was that? During all this discomfort, I felt brave enough to take the boots off at night. For me, I always feel like I need to stretch my calf muscle especially at night. I have awoken several times to twinges in my achilles because I am stretching in my sleep. One night I had a dream that I ruptured my left one again just by stretching. I awoke to a weird feeling in my feet. I had no tightness or pain! I thought for sure I snapped them! This week I was able to take out another lift. One left and I feel no tension. When I am out of the boot, they still feel a little sloppy. Does this mean I’m healing long? or do I have too much time on my hands?

Week 5 - One more day and I’ve completed Week 5. Getting around nowadays is much easier. I have to admit that I cheat. I know, but really, I more or less stand to transfer to other furniture or I stand up to reach a shelf in the cupboard. I know this is more like 100% of my weight but I do it carefully and stay on my heels and try not to activate the achilles. I don’t do it much in the day, but it makes my quality of life so much better. I can actually do more for myself. I can definitely tell when I’ve used the achillies as I feel a bit of an ache and a burning sensation. I can take out a lift today. The last one! Also, I can put 50% of my weight. So the guilt of putting 100% is now only 50%! I really feel so much stronger this week that I am tempted to try crutches. Unfortunately, they are out in the van and we have about a foot of snow on the ground. I think given the previous incident, Kevin sensed this and left them out there! The countdown to see my surgeon is on. 1 more week and I pray I’ll be granted crutches or at the very least a walker!

Early in the week, I got the call from the Surgeon’s office to set up my appointment for Thursday, Oct 21st. That first week went by amazingly fast! I kicked the drugs by day 4. I have to give myself an injection of blood thinners - yikes! But it is getting much easier although my technique has a bit to be desired. It’s a good thing the bruises heal fairly quickly or I would be running out of room on my tummy. I chose this location since it is convenient (I had tried my thigh and missed the fatty area and stuck myself in the muscle - just a bit more painful!). Word spread quickly of my injury and “confinement” and we were overwhelmed with the response of friends, family, and neighbors. I have a group of 8 gals that I meet with and they arranged dinner for us for two weeks straight. So everyday I would have a dinner delivery, coffee delivery and a visit if not once but twice a day for the first week! It was really amazing and I as well as my husband are eternally grateful for that. Kevin felt confident to leave me to my own devices during the day after getting the kids up, and out the door to school. I also have a babysitter that we kept on for one day per week when my daughter started Grade 1. She also has a part time job elsewhere and was able to switch her shifts in order to be able to pick my kids up from school and take them to any after school events. I have developed a great routine at home as well. Even though longing to try and get up the stairs to have a shower I resigned myself to hanging my head over the sink to wash my hair and giving myself a good ole’ sponge bath.

Thursday arrived and I was finally going to have my first foray into the outdoor world since coming home from the hospital. I was soooo excited! The first order of business was to try to get into the minivan. It is definitely higher than my brother’s car. Since the passenger door to the minivan didn’t open very wide, we tried to get me into the back seat. We used the transfer board to make the bridge but is was pretty steep. I got about 2/3 of the way up and then the board slipped and I came crashing down into the seat but not without smashing my left foot onto the ground. The pain reverberated right up my achillies. Man did it smart! We then tried the front seat again and was able to make it and we were on our way. At the hospital, they cut off my plaster half-slab casts. I was not expecting the gruesome scene that lay before me. They had stapled my incisions. I counted about 11 in each leg. The Doctor looked at them and said they looked great. Yeah right. I told him about the leg smashing incident and he checked it but couldn’t see much movement as my legs were rather swollen he didn’t seem to think I did any damage as he thought I would really have had to wrench my foot up to do injury. They decided it was still too early to take the staples out so they fitted me with a pair of Aircasts with 3 lifts each and sent me on my way with an appointment date in another week.

Two Week - Post OP Check

Once again, the next week went very quickly. I had at least one visitor every day bringing me my much craved coffee or someone bringing us dinner. I didn’t do anything stupid on my own either. I good friend and PT dropped by when he heard and gave me a great layman’s description of what the surgeon did and why it was so important not to activate the tendon. He also assured my that I could actually stand in my boot (carefully that is) and briefly and he encouraged me to try it a couple of times a day. This he said would help to keep my foot muscles from cramping and stiffening. Before I knew it, Thursday was here and off we went to the clinic again to get my staples out. I was pretty apprehensive about this procedure and for good reason too. It kinda hurt! Once all the staples were removed the nurse put tapes on the incisions and they felt better. I was to keep these on for 10 days. They also suggested to sleep without the boots and let the incisions breath. One thing I was concerned about was actually how on earth did I rupture both? My research online suggested that my taking an antibiotics of the flouroquinoline family increased your chances for tendon rupture (namely the achillies). Now I did have an ongoing sinus infection late last fall and into January 2010 and took two antibiotics. After pulling my prescription records from the pharmacy it showed that I did not take one of these. I asked the surgeon why he thought I did both. He told me he thought it was just plain bad luck. He said the tendons were healthy, they had minimal shredding and they went together very well. So I guess I can get over the why and just get on with the what now. He told me that in one week I could start putting 25% weight on my legs. I asked him who he might suggest I do that. He replied with that he had absolutely no idea. He basically said I had to be ultra cautious and then some. I could also take out one wedge at the next one week mark and can take another on with each consecutive week until I see him next. Also, after two weeks of 25% weight, I could up it to 50%. So armed with all my new found knowledge (or lack of) I was released until Nov 25th for my next appointment.

You would think with my incarceration at home I would have tons of time to get caught up with my story. Sorry that I am still behind. I’ll see what I can do…

Finally! I get to go home. As we only own a minivan and an SUV we had my brother bring his car to pick me up from the hospital. It was a fairly easy transition to get from the chair into the car using the transfer board. I was still whacked out on the percoset and just barely made it home with everything still inside where it should be. Since my husband had the ramps built he navigated me up and inside the house. Kevin promptly wheeled me into his office where he set up a bed. I think he expected me to get in and stay there for the next 6 weeks! Now I’ve just been in bed for the last 3 days and there is no way I’m getting in there! (at least not right away). The look on Kevin’s face was asking “what the heck am I going to do with you then?”. He toured me around the house and showed me the furniture and carpets he moved to make room for my new wheels. After that I had to admit that I was still dizzy and nauseous from the drugs and had to go lie down.

The first full day home was probably the most stressful of all. Kevin is now looking after three and I was probably the most needy of all. The kids were constantly fighting that day. I spent most of my time in my new bedroom listening to the screaming, whining, and crying and not able to do anything about it. When I had to use the facilities, I had to get Kevin to assist me by transferring onto the comode outside the bathroom and then he had to push me over the toilet. This was probably his (and mine) breaking point. He said I was 40 years too early for this to be happening and I rightly agreed. He had just come from upstairs and I am sure he had been holding his head in his hands ready to breakdown. Something had to change and I was resolved to be able to get onto that damn toilet myself. So we removed the leg supports from the wheelchair and carefully maneuvered it and around through the narrow doorway and up to the toilet at an angle. We removed the side piece to the chair and used the transfer board to slide on. It worked! The triumph on my face and the relief on Kevin’s was unparalleled. Who said it couldn’t be done?! Kevin then immediately said he was off to the bookstore. The kids and I managed fine. They are 8 and 6 and terrific little helpers. If there is one thing that may be gained from this is that those kids will definitely become more self-reliant. Kyle answered the phone while Kendra answered the door and they both were willing to fetch anything I asked of them. It was nice to be home.

The next morning the nurse told me that I was on-call again and that meant that they would perform all scheduled surgeries before they got to me but the good news was that on Fridays they dedicate an OR just for orthopaedic backlog. As it happened, they wheeled me in at 10:30am for my surgery. I opted for the spinal block and requested to be sedated enough to have a nap through it all. I woke up about 15 minutes before they were done. The procedure went well and took about an hour. The only concern was that my blood pressure was quite high and had been since I got to the hospital. After recovery, they wheeled me back to my room. My husband convinced the nurses to call the PT and they sent someone up to see us at about 2:30pm. She explained to Kevin (my husband) I would need a wheelchair, a comode and a transfer board. She also said that he would have to hurry and get the stuff because most of the homecare places close at 5:00pm on Fridays for the weekend! The spinal took forever to wear off but that was okay since at the first notion of pain they pumped with painkillers. They kept me overnight since I had to pass the physiotherapy before they would let me go home and was scheduled for the next morning. That night was a killer! It seemed like the percoset wasn’t working. I felt like my legs were on fire. The nurse gave me something for inflammation which was a huge help. In the morning they topped up my percoset, served me breakfast then I promptly vomited. I felt dizzy and nauseas. She gave me some Gravol for the nausea and then I slept for 2 hours and woke up just before the PT appt. I was so excited to be going home! Kevin secured the equipment and its a good thing he is in the homebuilding industry. He had his employees build some ramps for me to get into the house! Now all I had to do was pass the PT. At the PT appt, she wrapped a belt around my middle and stuck a walker in front of me. I said that I didn’t think I was supposed to be using that since I am completely NWB. She went back to check my chart and was at a loss of what to do with me. As it turns out, she suggested to get a wheelchair where the arms removed. Kevin said that would have been nice to know the day before when he went out to get the stuff. The biggest problem was figuring out how was I going to get onto the toilet. We have a two storey home and I was going to be relegated to the main floor and was going to have to use the two piece bath. It’s not that big of a space and my husband suggested that he could disconnect the plumbing from the sink and remove the vanity to allow for the wheelchair to come up beside the toilet. The PT thought that a great idea, however, I was not going to let that happen. There had to be another way. Since the PT thought that there was no way I could transfer from the wheelchair, she suggested a comode on wheels that I could get on in the hall outside the bathroom and then be pushed over the toilet. Now that meant my husband also got the wrong comode! Back to my room I went and my husband was off to find a homecare place that would be open. 2hrs later he was back with the goods to prove to the PT he was prepeared. What gets me, is that they were more worried about how I was going to get on the toilet than how I was going to get into my house or car! I didn’t care, I just wanted out of there I’d figure it all out on my own.

Hello everyone, thanks for your encouragement so far. I left off with being scheduled to visit the OS for 9:00am on October 14th. We arrived at the hospital and happened to meet the OS in the hallway. She guessed who I was and I told her I had a copy of the ultrasound. She said she wanted to do her own. When I got into the clinic and was settled on the bed she took one look at my ankles and said she didn’t need an ultrasound, it was obvious they were both gone. She said it sucked to be me but she was going to try to get me in right away. Now if you know about the Canadian Health Care System, it’s free, the Dr’s are good, but as my Dad says, “you can die waiting”. She was able to get me a bed for on-call surgery and told me that now I had ’squatters rights’ and chances are they would operate sooner rather than later because I was taking up space. Then I waited, and waited, and waited… I had plenty to do. I had my books, my IPad, my phone, and magazines. What really drove me nuts was that I couldn’t get an internet connection nor cell service. My room was in a cellular blackhole. There were plenty of private wireless networks but no public ones. I really don’t know why our hospitals don’t charge a daily fee for wireless connectivity like many hotels. I am sure both my husband an myself would have gladly paid for it. During our long wait they kept telling me that prior to being released from the hospital I would have to go to the see the PT to discuss my needs at home. My husband asked them if we could meet the PT right away. They said that no it would have to wait until after the surgery because they didn’t know what the surgeon would do. Well, we knew I’d NWB and in a wheelchair so why didn’t they? Well, back to the waiting, I was disappointed that I didn’t get in for surgery that day and had to stay the night. Since I completely ruptured them I didn’t have any pain and slept pretty good.

It all started for me on October 12, 2010. After taking an 8 year hiatus of playing soccer, I decided it would be a good idea to get back into it. Other than breathing harder than what I remember it was like I had never quit! It really did feel good. With 30 seconds left in the first half the unexpected happened. I was controlling the ball in our own zone and wham! My opponent completely missed the ball and connected with my leg. I’ve had all sort of ankle sprains in the past but this feeling was not familiar. As I was trying to get my balance and footing then wham again! I took three steps and dropped. Both of my calf muscles were in spasm and the pain was unbelievable. They carted me off and I iced them until the end of the game. I tried to stand and promptly fell flat on my face! I had thought it was just muscle cramps and was the reason I could not put any pressure on my toes. I had a teammate drive me home where I dragged myself up the stairs, had a shower and went to bed. In the morning, the pain was not as great and my husband assisted me to stand and discovered that I still could not put pressure on my toes. I tried to get into my Dr. who happened to be booked but they would call me back if the Dr. could fit me in. I couldn’t wait and called a PT and got in promptly. On the way there my husband picked up a cane for me to help with my balance. The PT conducted the Thomson Test and concluded they both were ruptured and suggested to see my Dr. right away. I was able to see the Dr. later that day and was fortunate to have an ultrasound done down the hall right after where the radiologist was in disbelief that I had done both. A 3cm gap in the right and a 0.7cm gap in the left (he thought there might be a couple of threads that hadn’t snapped in the left). My Dr. called the hospital and spoke with the OS on call and scheduled me in for 9:00am the next morning.

Sorry for the story. I’m a bit new to blogging. I’ll try to make the future ones shorter.

Recent Comments

I tried to reply to your email, not sure you received it. I’m just over 4 weeks now and I have to say things feel really good. When did you start taking the boots off and doing light stretching and even sleeping without boots? I was told to sleep with boots … argh ! When were you able to get back into any sort of sports?

I think your blog is amazing … thank you for sharing. I should really start one.

yes … it feels all surreal to me still …. 1 would be horrible … both is just unbelievable.

I am glad things are better for you, though am sorry the physio didn’t work out. I was in a wheelchair for the first 2 weeks … I can’t imagine 6 weeks. I still have the wheelchair, but for exercise reasons mostly and getting out. I so cannot wait to start physio but am scared also … the tendons feel so tight … like a piece of steel for each tendon … LOL. Did you ever keep one boot on and alternate? how long before you could drive ? how long till you could walk without limping ? lol … I have many questions …. and I find the doctors never have any time to answer anything ….

Mike, OMG! I suppose you get that alot when people discover that it wasn’t really elective surgery to remove bunions. I have to say, I am envious of you to be able to weight bear so early. I am sure you will not have the setbacks that I encountered as I was confined to a wheelchair for so long (6 weeks) and unable to plant my feet. Today, I still have the heel pain, though it is not as intense. I discovered crocs work well for awhile, but Birkenstocks and my new orthotics are the best. I am never without these. I slip them on in the morning and slip out of them when I crawl into bed. I also have a pair of Naots (not so Birkish looking but the same idea). I have to say, when the boots first came off, it was a little daunting but I soon got over that. I remember being amazed that I didn’t fall flat on my face when I stood up for the first time! I also found that I always looked down at my feet as I walked to make sure there was nothing that was going to make me slip or trip over. My physio helped me overcome that. He had me walk slowly on the treadmill with my eyes closed while holding on for balance. I cringe at possibly

I have done the same as you …. seems almost exactly. After 4 years of neglecting staying in shape and conditioned I decided to play tennis and had both my Achilles snap in close succession, man I was hoping it was just my calves cramping.

I am at 4 weeks post op, but it seems I have had a slightly more aggressive program as I was told to weight bare in the aircasts immediately after getting the stitches out, 2 weeks ago. I was able to quickly ditch the crutches and use a cane if I go outside. I have no real pain , but am very careful not to extend or use my calf muscles. I have another 17 days before I will be flat footed in the boots ( plantigrade ) and from what the doc said I will be able to start getting out of the boots then …. that I am soooo scared about and have no idea what to expect …. I can’t imagine having the guts to try walking without boots after 7 weeks of no conditioning down there. I would be very interested in getting some details on your experience. You also commented that you had some set backs … I want to avoid setbacks … :O)

Hi Pamela, I am doing very well considering a few hiccups with my rehab over the past 2 months which have kept me from doing any physio. I am able to do heel raises with both feet but sadly not on one foot on either leg. I still have pain in the plantar area and I think it will stay with me and I will always need to wear Birkenstocks in the house and good shoes with orthotics outside. Good-bye flip-flops. Despite the setback, I can walk, almost run, and drive!

It’s good to hear that you are almost there and that our Achilles Tendon Injuries will be just a memory!

Wondering how you are progressing? You wrote to me in November I think. I tore my right one on Oct 10. I am nearly 100%, walking without limp and can run in last couple weeks. Able to do some heel raises, but still a bit of progess to make, though finishing up PT very soon.

I would love to hear how things are going for you. I do think about you often!

I am really pleased to see how well you are progressing. Wonderful that you got away for a nice week. Does wonders for sanity. So glad you are able to get around on your own now. You will be through this in no time and indeed, it will be a memory and great story (which, no one will believe!!!). I look forward to hearing about your physio, since one so often has to lean on a non-injured leg.
Good Luck and Happy Holidays!!!

So pleased you’re on your feet so quickly . My physio explained that the AT is attached to muscle/ tendon underneath the heel, and that if the AT is tight, then this will pull under the heel. I think most of us cope by favouring the good leg when standing, but you haven’t got that luxury so I reckon it must be harder for you.
I don’t know whether you can get them in Canada, but I bought a pair of Clark’s Active Air shoes to go to work in. They have a wide back, an elasticated strap, arch support, and most importantly, very well cushioned heels which have made a real difference, I think they do boots as well. They’re not exactly pretty but they do the job.
Keep going!

Yup, pain under the heel(s) seems to come with FWB and 2-shoes, and sometimes fades only gradually. One trick from my PT that helped many of us is to sit barefoot, feet on floor and thighs horizontal, and roll your heel around on a ball. My PT said a golf ball, but he’s a macho man. Others use tennis balls. You’re just trying to work out some “knots” under your heel.

The discomfort and sensitivity and pain are probably related to Plantar Fasciitis = Heel Spur, which can become a real chronic pain, so don’t just “work through” it.

The other thing that many of us found helpful was REALLY squishy shoes, or carpets, or footbeds. I was one of the big crowd who could walk best in Crocs. And even maybe a month or so after 2-shoes was fine in Crocs, walking barefoot in a wooden floor (or God Forbid stepping on a little telephone cord!) was unpleasant. This too shall pass.

You might benefit from a cane, esp. when in 2 shoes. Pitching forward is a hazard to your AT, and without a “good foot” to catch you, the risk is probably higher. Canes are also useful to warn away trippers and bumpers etc.

Wow really well done, I can’t believe how quickly your progressing. I know it prob doesn’t feel like it but you’re doing so well. Hope the physio continues to progress you and that your c=back on your feet without the pain soon. The heel pain is something I think lots of us with just one AT get but can’t imagine what it must be like with 2. Take care and carry on healing

Cheryl
That’s fantastic news - I was gutted for you when I read your first posts, I can hardly believe you have made so much progress and with such good humour too! I can imagine how brilliant that must have felt to be back on your own two legs - good luck with all the excercises!

It is a great feeling to be walking again albeit in the TWO boots. Well done! This is a milestone in your recovery and with it comes a sense of freedom. I am glad the weather has slightly improved with the mini chinook we are experiencing. Keep up with the exercises as they will pave the way for a full recovery.
Take care. Paul

Thanks Paul and Norm. I do feel somewhat liberated. I hope this feeling has enough momentum to get me through to the next phase. I should keep the wheelchair around to remind me of where I was and how far I’ve come. Norm, when you mentioned I could possibly skip the crutches altogether, I thought that would never happen (at least not for a long time). Paul, Mother Nature was there for me when the Dr. told me to go forth and walk and I was able to walk out of the hospital onto a wet rather than icy sidewalk!

Yay, and congrats! I’d expect your feet to get used to the “abuse” pretty quickly. In a pinch, you could probably still do the “3-legged race” crutch-walk I described a week or two ago. If you were in a rush, but NOT out in the snow and ice!!

You’re not alone, and yet you’re almost completely unique!

In around 10 weeks, you should be in fine shape to trade in the AirCasts (and the shoes that follow them) on a pair of ski boots! Maybe early February?

Watch Your Step, because your ankles are still very vulnerable. After they’re finished healing, though, you should be an unusually secure “graduate” from this particular problem.

Hi Cheryl,
Nice to hear from you.
Was wondering how the fellow Calgarian was coping.
Good news to hear that you are standing on two feet!
With two aircasts on it will look like you have just taken your skis off after a trip to Sunshine or lake Louise:) But seriously, i am pleased that you are mobile and able to do more for yourself. It is a big boost when FWB starts. Take care. Paul

As you know, I’m not your Doc (or A Doc!), but if you’re pain-free standing on two booted feet at 5 weeks, that’s one week LATER than my fave most-trusted protocol calls for FWB “as tolerated”, so I don’t see the harm in standing and starting to walk carefully. Show your Doc the protocol and the study, in case he hasn’t seen them already (or thinks YOU haven’t!)

Twinges in the legs and feet are par for the course, as is a general feeling of “sloppiness” in the feet that haven’t been holding you up and balancing and walking. I think it’s too soon to even think about whether your healed AT lengths are perfect or not. Have you started “exercising” — wiggling your feet around boot-off, while seated? Sleeping bootless is close, but I started on exercise and PT at two weeks without any stitches, so it’s not obvious why you should go slower. (And your NEED is greater!)

Unfortunately, winter conditions in Calgary — including a foot of snow — are a serious hazard. If your Doc puts you on crutches (and I think I’d just skip them!), they’re AWFUL on snow.

Congrats on making it this far with your sanity apparently intact. I found crawling a useful way of getting around, even though I was able to use crutches. I have to say I would be doing exactly the same as you, sneaking upstairs when no one is looking.
I’m sure you can get rubber bath mats (with rubber suction cups underneath) in Canada, I found it made me a lot safer in the bath and shower as I was much less likely to slip.
Keep going!

You certainly have found yourself in a tough situation! It amazes me you have been able to get around at all. I guess, like the rest of us, you have found ways to do what you need to do, only more so.

When I wrote my long blog note last year about my rehab, I split the rehab into four parts. The first, wound healing, you seem to have accomplished. The next two, flexibility and strength, you can work on while lying down. Those can be as simple as a towel around the ball of the foot, pulling up with your arms to gain flexibility, and pushing down (using your arms to provide resistance) with your calf to gain strength. The fourth and trickier part is keeping the rest of your body in shape. Swimming would be great, if you can find a way to do it. In my blog, I describe an exercise where I did a “pelvic tilt” sort of exercise, lying on my back, digging in a heel, and lifting my butt off the bed. This gives a fair workout to the upper leg muscles.

While simply getting around is, obviously, important, you will get better faster if you can do more than that, and do some things aimed specifically at ankle flexibi

Gerry gives me credit for having a plan to get you PWB, Cheryl, but I don’t! Get Kevin to install a chain hoist on a track that runs along the ceiling!! Using crutches generally DEPENDS on being FWB on one leg, period! Your weight shifts from the two crutches to the one leg, and back. If and when your TWO booted legs together can bear your weight, you’ll be able to do a modified crutch-walk — two crutches bear the weight while BOTH legs swing forward and “plant”, then roll forward onto the crutches again. Until then, you’re looking for little exercise fixes like Bronny’s, or a chin-up bar, or a good strong walker. I’m not sure that any of them would work well for transportation, just for short exercise sessions.

Getting slid or dumped into the deep end of a pool could still be fun, as long as you can get out. Swimming and also walking in chest-high (and gradually shallower) water. Do you have the upper-body strength to hoist yourself out of a pool and spin onto your bum? It’s pretty routine for most guys, but many women don’t have that kind of arm strength. If not, you could get hauled out.

What about using the back of a sofa, so that most of the weight goes through your hands. Or some kind of harness system (like kids have the jolly jumper!). Actually, my calf raises started as an isometric push into a wall (lying down) and graduated to a seated calf raise, which you could add more weight to by putting something heavy across your legs (e.g. dumbells, or a powerbag)

Unlike Norm, I have to say that I’m at a loss for words about how you can do this 25% weight bearing business with two surgical repairs. Crutches don’t seem like a particularly good idea because it would be very easy to lose your balance and end being 100% weight bearing on one leg or the other, plus when you stop moving with crutches your weight has to be primarily on one leg. You might be able to do it with crutches but I would still be very concerned about balance. I don’t know, nor can I imagine how difficult it would be to get around with a boot on each foot. I know I wouldn’t want to try it with the Don-Joy MC Walker boot I had, but I don’t know if the air-cast boot or Vacoped would really be any better. I think what you need to do is find a really good PT and see what suggestions he/she might offer about how you start being PWB on either foot. Good luck and let us know what you do.

A couple of thoughts though more useful in the very beginning but worth considering. The Knee-walkers are great and for you it might aid in the Partial Weight Bearing area as you could have one leg completely NWB and the other pushing a little bit (but you have to be very careful to push flat footed. This might be riskier than nothing so talk to PT about it). The other suggestion is, don’t forget crawling. I was shameless crawling upstairs and around to get to where I wanted without bearing weight. So, while not ‘elegant’ it gets the job done, especially if you are dying for an upstairs shower!

I can’t offer any advice or anything, I’ll leave that to Norm and Gerry. But I’ve been wondering how you were getting on. Your husband and friends sound like real stars and you seem really positive.
Keep blogging, I’m rooting for you

Hi Cheryl - Well, now I am caught up with all you have written (and looking forward to more!). Maybe you can write an article for you local paper - I am sure people would find it fascinating and educational! Anyway, your attitude is great and that is a large part of it all. Sounds like you have a great immediate family (those kids are sweet at that age!) and a trooper husband. This story should put my husband in his place - he has been much better help the second time around but yours had no way out!

It is amazing what one can do when there is no choice. You are making a great go of it all. And you do find out what great friends you have. Guaranteed you will have an opportunity to repay it to someone within a year or two and you will be happy to do so knowing how helpful it was to you. That is a big part of the silver lining in these situations. There is good in almost everything.

Cheryl, please keep catching up — it’s a great story!
And it’s great that you’re already starting to appreciate the Little Victories along the way. I think that attitude — and a sense of humour in general — are pretty key to winning the Mental Game, right up there with a loving and patient support network. (Go, Kevin!)

I don’t know if your Doc is going to get you into exercise and PT fast — e.g., at 2 weeks post-op like bit.ly/UWOProtocol , or maybe even a smidge sooner — but you still will probably be around 4 weeks post-op before you start walking on two (booted) feet. Hey, wait, I just checked your “ATR Timeline”, and you’re at 4 weeks post-op NOW!! (Are we there yet?)

For most of us one-sided ATR folks, that milestone — putting down the crutches and picking up the coffee cup or WHATEVER! — is probably the single biggest “Yippee!” on the whole voyage! Yup, I’d say it’s even bigger than getting into 2 shoes, getting back on a bicycle, or getting back to the sport that “did you in”!!

But for you, who will probably move straight (or quickly) from a wheelchair to walking on two feet, . . . it sounds like Yippee squar

Cheryl, some people have lingering miserable pain from complete ATRs; it’s very variable from person to person. Mine was pretty painless, like yours, lucky us!

There’s been a lot of press very recently about long waiting times in Alberta hospitals — most famously, about some people calling 911 for emergency care FROM the Emergency Room!! But here in Ontario, and in most of Canada, I don’t think patients wait long for ATR surgery, because most surgeons believe that it’s urgent — that the results are better when the op is done on a “fresh” tear.

(My fancy 2nd-time surgeon was an exception: Before he gave up ATR surgery “cold turkey” based on the UWO study, he convinced himself that 2-week-old ATRs were better for surgery, because the torn ends had “neatened” up a bit from healing, so it was less like stitching together two horse’s tails.)

Back in 2001, when I wanted surgery for my first ATR, my surgeon had a long wait-list for knee and hip replacements, but I jumped to the front of the line with my ATR, after a week of inaction and tests and Doctor’s visits. . .

It’s the subject of active controversy in the field’s researchers. The current issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has (1) the official report from my fave study, “proving” that non-op is as good or better, and (2) a “Commentary”, saying it ain’t so! Those of us with strong opinions on this topic have agreed not to vent them here.

I’m glad you had them both treated the same way, though I expect I would have “voted” for Bronny’s and my way — and you and your Docs get the only real votes! Sutures definitely add strength for the first few weeks, which CAN be translated into a faster rehab — though most surgical patients actually go at speeds that Bronny and I (etc.) could (and did) handle.

Treating them differently would have added complexity to an already complex situation, and the results wouldn’t have much “statistical power” anyway — sorry, Bronny! Now, if we had 150 Cheryls. . . (I don’t know what it’s like in Calgary, Cheryl, but around HERE, Canada Geese hang out in big flocks! )

Getting you going as soon as possible is obviously one of the goals, and I’m still trying to “invent” unique ways to do

Funny you should say that. The first surgeon that scheduled me in actually joked about that very thing. She said it would be up to the surgeon that performed the surgery. They said that the non surgical route would be a longer healing process and that because I was already incapacitated by not walking that they wanted to get me going as soon as possible. I’m not sure if that is the general consensus on the issue though but I am okay with the decsision.

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

Cheryl, I’ve started day-dreaming about the challenges of your rehab in my spare time (when I need to take a “study break” from researching my own upcoming heart surgery!). Each of your ankles needs to progress through rehab just like ours, but your “symmetrical” situation changes most of the details, in ways I’ve never thought about before. (I bet your health professionals are new to your situation, too!)

Obviously, crutches are out while you’re NWB! (More good news, that you don’t have to worry about “face plants” when a crutch slips, or the perils of crutch-walking on stairs!) You’ll also “want” to spend twice as much time doing exercises and having PT as we did.

The transition through PWB to FWB, which most of us did on crutches, has to change. Unless you’ve got a set of parallel bars handy (or a ceiling hoist!), my first thoughts include a good strong “walker” (the kind the old folks use), and a nice deep swimming pool. I can imagine a LOT of uses for a pool, assuming you’re generally comfy in the water. (I’ve got a mental video of a pal wheeling you to the deep end and dumping you in!) Those waterproof VacoCast / VacoPed

Crikey Cheryl - I am so sorry to hear your tale. I have been wondering how I would cope if the other one went while I was still on crutches and here you are having to just get on with it. I hope you take comfort in the wise words of some of the “both-siders” and that your two heal well and swiftly. Sounds like the prognosis for the future is really good and I guess you have to take comfort wherever you can find it. I wish your husband lots of patience too - I know my friends were all worried for my husband when I snapped my ATR because they knew how grumpy i’d be to be so incapacitated - make sure that you accept help whenever it’s offered, both for you and to give him a break! Very, very best wishes

OMG I didn’t realise it was possible to do both at the same time…I feel for you….by reading the others looks like there is some benefit of doing both and recovering bothat the same time, thanks for sharing your story look forward to reading the updates and trials and tribulations.

Oh Cheryl you poor thing, but I suppose like Norm says you’ll get the healing done on both sides at the same time rather than going through it twice seperately. Good luck with your healing and keep us posted. Remember patience is a virtue in the ATR world.

Believe it or not, there IS a bright side, Cheryl! Once they both heal, you should be able to return to soccer (or whatever) with absolutely NO fear of “tearing the other side”! I’m actually serious, since that risk is not trivial for the rest of us — including me, one of several “both-siders” in the group here. Mine were 8 years apart, somebody else here waited 11 years. . .

Cheryl - Wow, that’s some story. Sorry to hear that you ruptured BOTH of your Achilles at the same time. There was a person a couple of years ago or so who ruptured both of his Achilles at the same time playing basketball. I think he jumped to block someone’s shot and his Achilles tendons both tore at the same time. Please check here: http://achillesblog.com/atrpt.php

Ah found it, it was fordtough. You’ll see his profile from the ATR marathon page.

I hope your recovery is going well, and keep us posted. Feel free to make them longer, it’s perfectly fine.